BEHEMOTH, WATAIN, THE DEVILS BLOOD, IN SOLITUDE – MA

With the brutal triumphant return of Behemoth, the stench of Watain’s pure evil, the spell of The Devil’s Blood’s occult rock and In Solitude bringing us back to the retro metal roots, The Decibel Magazine Tour tore up North America as they played to pack venues and sold out crowds from coast to coast.It was an earth-scorching night that every extreme metaller alike should of experienced. While the expectations of this tour were high, the deliverance was beyond any imagination we could conjure.

Opening up the night was the Swedish band, In Solitude. It was like putting on that old familiar pair of chainmail and armor as you prepare to go off to battle. They are part of that whole movement (with bands like Ghost and Enforcer) to bring an 80’s metal retro sound in the vein of Merciful Fate. They were perfect to greet the crowd, pull them in and get them ready for the intensity that would progress as the night went on.

The Devil’s Blood got the rituals flowing in the room as the crew from the Netherlands was second on the bill. Their rock spiritually prepares and takes you on a ride to the battle front. The Devil’s Blood has the old school rock n roll rebel of the devil, mixing sensuality with energy while combining their stage show with ritual practices. Look for the Devil’s Blood as they continue to tour Europe.

The Devil’s Blood lead us to the battle and the one, the only, Watain lung us into the trenches, smack dab in the middle of the epic music war, with brutal riffs and thunderous beats. Drenched in animal blood, these Swedes really bring to the stage what black metal is all about. These wolf pack warriors had the crowd fired up from the moment they started to set up the stage with their impaled animal skulls. Although Watain wasn’t able to have quite the stage set up as they do in Europe, they still get their message across loud and clear. You can get the full effect on their show on recently released DVD, “Opus Diaboli” which celebrates the band’s 13 yr anniversary. The limited edition box sets are already sold out, but pre-orders for the regular version start June 5. Watain will take part in this years Wacken Open Air Fest as well as UK Bloodstock Open Air Fest.

Behemoth slayed the stage, as they returned to the US with more power, tighter than ever riffs and just an amazing show all together. We’ve been covering Behemoth since they first came to the States back in 2003 and every time they seem to kick up their game another notch. This time around they tripled the last tour. While Nergal’s battle with Leukemia may have interrupted Behemoth’s time for a short while, it has seem to make this band just that much more stronger and determined, and the fans have just poured out in support. Behemoth celebrated their 25yr anniversary and recently released a band biography (in Polish). Behemoth will be back for the Barge To Hell festival in December. The festival takes place on a cruise ship that leaves Florida with 2,000 extreme metal fans and 40 bands that includes Behemoth, At The Gates, Morgoth, Krisiun, Napalm Death, Possessed and many more!